Theater appliance.



Patentad Doc. 9,1902. A. m. zmu.

THEATER APPLIANCE.

(Application filed Jan. 15, 1902.)

(No 'Mbdel.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. ZINN, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

THEATER AP PLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pacent No. 715,730, dated December 1902- AppIication filed January 15, 1902. $erial No. 89,898. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern? Be it known that I, ALBERT M. ZINN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Theater Appliance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to theater appliances, and specifically to a novel arrangement of stage-fitting adapted particularly for use in connection with spectacular dances, scenic effect, exhibition, and advertising purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of back and fore ground for a stage which under action of motion and projected light will present to an audience an illusion of appearing and disappearing brilliant jewels or of phosphorescent insects flitting through the air around and over the stage.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a stage-fitting, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated a form of embodi mentof theinvention,together Withaslightlymodified form thereof, capable of carrying the same into effect, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact 4 and 5 are modified forms of foreground, eX- hibiting the manner in which the same will be constructed for use as a leg-drop and a border, respectively.

Figs.

lar shape, which may be disposed over the surface thereof at like or unlike distances apart, according to the effect desired to be secured.

The curtain 4, which constitutes the foreground, consists of a plurality of pendants or suspending-cords 5,preferably of strong black thread, to each of which is secured at equal or unequal distances apart reflecting-surfaces 6, consisting each of two pieces of mirror glued back to back to the suspending-cords, the said surfaces to be either regular orirregular in shape, as may be preferred. The upper ends of the cords are secured to a batten 7, which latter is held suspended in front of the background and at a sufficient distance therefrom to afford the dancer ample room for movement, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the lower ends of the pendants to lie close to but not touch the stage in order that they may be free for movement.

Inv use the two curtains will have constant movement, either by being shaken by hand or by having a blast of air projected against them from a fan, thereby imparting to both the background and foreground an undulatory motion and, further, causing the pendants to twist and untwist or rotate vertically, whereby the light thrown thereagainst will be intermittently caught and reflected, it being apparent that so long as the broad side of the reflecting-surfaces of the foreground are directed toward the audience the light will be reflected; but assoon as the edges of the surfaces come opposite the observer the light will cease. With the background, how ever, the light-rays travel across the curtain in waves or flashes intermittently, according to how it is waved or moved, as may be preferred.

When this stage-fitting is employed, the hall or theater will be in perfect darkness, the light projected on the curtains being from the rear of the theater or from the sides of the stage or from beneath or from above the stage or from any combination of said places, according to the efiect desired or preferred, so that under motion a brilliant and beautiful effect will result, and by the employment of varicolored lights the elegance of the eXhibition will materially be enhanced. Colored electric, calcium, or incandescent lights only are used, thereby preventing an audience from seeing how the effects are produced, which it could easily perceive were white lights employed. Owing to the fact that both the suspending-cords and back-curtain material are black or dark, the former will be invisible to'the spectators, and thus to all appearances the brilliant points of light alternately appearing and disappearing in the space in front of the background are suspended or seem to be floating in mid-air, darting and shooting through space like comets or shooting stars, while the reflecting-surfaces of the background, projecting steady but scintillating rays of light, will have the appearance of the firmament on a cloudless night or of moonlight on rippling waters, the effect produced being determined by the mannerin which the curtain is moved or waved.

In Fig. 4 the foreground is shown as adapted for exhibition in connection with a legdrop, and in Fig. 5 as a border, the suspending-cords in this latter instance at the centerof the curtain being shorter than those at the ends, so that the (lancer can have space for movement under the borders and between the legs of the leg-drop, the borders and legdrops acting merely as wings in a theaterscene to complete the setting of the stage and to prevent an appearance of emptiness between the front curtain and back drop overhead and on the sides, at the same time creating more jewels to reflect the light-rays.

It is intended that these curtains shall be readily adaptable to stages without necessitating any change in the structural arrangement thereof and, in effect, to constitute a part of the dancers outfit.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A theater appliance comprising a background composed of a continuous surface carrying light-reflecting means, and a foreground composed of pendants carrying lightreflecting means.

2. A theater appliance comprising a background composed of a dark curtain having light-reflecting surfaces disposed on its outer side, and a foreground composed of flexible pendants having light-reflecting surfaces secured in pairs thereto.

A theater appliance comprising a background and a foreground suitably spaced apart, the background comprising a batten and a dark curtain secured thereto carrying light-reflecting surfaces. and the foreground comprising a batten and a plurality of cords secured thereto and carrying reflectingsurfaces arranged back to back.

4. A theater appliance consisting of abackground and a foreground suitably spaced apart, the background comprising a batten and a dark curtain secured thereto carrying pieces of mirror constituting light-reflecting surfaces, and the foreground comprising a batten and a plurality of cords secured thereto carrying pieces of mirror secured back to back and constituting reflecting-surfaces.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT M. ZINN.

Witnesses:

AL ONKEN, GEO. O. BLAKESLEE. 

